Sunday, 24 February 2013

The new nesting season is almost upon us and yours truly will be spending the first couple of months of it laid up recovering from my second hip operation. So with this in mind I thought that I'd wet your appetite with some photographs of nests that I've had given to me by Steve Carter from last years season, all nests were found within this area by Steve. It was because of the terrible weather we had last spring and summer that we had a pretty bad season with loads of nests being predated and adult birds abandoning nests because of their inability to feed their chicks because of lack of food. Also the ground nesting birds such as meadow pipit and skylark had a bad time of it because of their nesting area's being flooded by the constant rain. Steve hopes to find a lot more nests this year and hopes to have great success in his nestbox colonies he's got dotted around the area.

All pic's of birds are mine except snipe and pied flycatcher, all pic's of nests are Steve's.

snipe nest

snipe

redstart nest

redstart

meadow pipit nest

meadow pipit

chaffinch nest

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chaffinch

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carrion crow nest

carrion crow

pied flycatcher nest

pied flycatcher

robin nest

robin

mistle thrush nest

mistle thrush

stonechat nest

stonechat

yellowhammer nest

yellowhammer

﻿A good variety of nests and birds there, lets hope Steve has great success in his nest finding and boxes this year.﻿

Sunday, 17 February 2013

Siskins are supposed to be in good numbers around the country this year but I haven't had any in for months, until today, when a mixed group of six popped onto the feeders two males and four females came on to the niger seed feeder. Greenfinch goldfinch and chaffinch were in good numbers as well. A brambling almost in full spring plumage was also there this morning but time I got the camera set up the bleeder had disapeared.

male chaffinch

male greenfinch

this robin popped in

three finches on the niger seed siskin greenfinch and goldfinch

female siskin

a poor pic of a male siskin

﻿With the days starting to lengthen and some of the sunny days we've had lately the birds are starting to sing especially early mornings and also starting to hold territories. Early breeders such as songthrush, nuthatch etc. might already be starting to build nests, on the BTO website there's a pair of Tawny owls already at the egg laying stage, so it looks as though spring is on the way.

Sunday, 3 February 2013

Wildlife especially birds has been a passion of mine since a young age, but for those people who know me they will also know my other passion is of course football. I played football for Cwmtillery AFC for almost 2 decades in the 80's and 90's and had some great times and won a few trophies along the way.

This picture from the 80's was taken outside the old changing rooms which are now knocked down, I'm stood next to the late and great Keith Rossiter who was our coach at the time. Also Robert "Bob" Hart senior (front row first on the right) who also has had a life time commited to the club an X player Bob coached the team for many a season.

This newspaper article is from the Gwent gazette which profiled the club. A young Leigh Preece (front row in the middle) was the clubs mascot at the time he went on to represent the club at senior level and follow in the footsteps of his older brothers John, Paul and Colin. Keith Williams (front row first on the right) is Mr Cwmtillery he's played for the club and ran the club from top to bottom over the last 30 or more years. He's still involved with the club to the present day. Myself and the loads of players that have represented Cwmtillery over the years are all indebted To Kieth for his commitment, passion and dedication to the club and he's a real gentleman to boot.

This is the challenge cup final side from the 90's I cant remember the exact date. Dai Webley then of Merthyr Tydfil came and helped Robert Legge coach the side. This was the year when the team reached 3 cup finals in the same season.

This is the aftermath after we'd won the challenge cup final.

Another challenge cup winning side also from the 90's this team featured Ryan Conway (fourth from right) who tragically died at a very young age. Robert Legge was still in charge with Dennis Piper(back row first on the left) joining him in one of the most successful priods for the club. Dai Handel Padfield (front row first on the right) was the clubs chairman who also represented the club as a player. He sponsored many a football kit and bought the players free beer on our successful cup runs.

Yours truly excepting the cup on behalf of Cwmtillery AFC.

Another trophy this was at Newport Stadium where we had just won the Ameteur cup what a mud bath as you can see by the state of me but what a night.

A younger and somewhat slimmer me posing with the ameteur cup

My footballing passion don't end with Cwmtillery AFC I also love Queens Park Rangers FC who I've supported all my life and have put me through the mill over the last 40 years. My lovely wife Tina took me to London to watch them at the hallowed ground known as Loftus Road. We had a great weekend and was lucky enough to be taken into the ground by a lad at the club superstore who works for the club. I was in heaven here's a few pic's of the day:-

Here's one happy chappy outside Loftus Road

Tina and myself by the tunnel entrance to the ground.

Harry Rednapp eat your heart out I sat in the dug out before you what an honour.

It wasn't all about football that weekend we visited Hyde park which had a good veriety of birds there to many to name here but what a great experience that was. Here's a feral pigeon taking food straight from Tina's hand.

This post has brought a few good old memories back I found the pic's whilst looking back on some old photo's and thought as it was a large part of my life I'd share them with you here.